Coach K is coming to town!

[The Equalizer]

Thats a good point. I was trying to figure out where Tokoto would find minutes with the recruiting class they have coming in. He may have to make a decision about transferring next year.

These posts are always amusing--we want to believe we're competitive with the best of the ACC, Big Ten, B12, SEC etc.  But then we believe that one of our best recruiting pipelines should be players who won't get playing time at Duke, UNC, UK, etc.

We're not going to be as good as UNC and Duke when our attitude is "Not good enough to get minutes at UNC or Duke?  Come to MU because you'll play here!"   

[mu-rara]

Thats a good point. I was trying to figure out where Tokoto would find minutes with the recruiting class they have coming in. He may have to make a decision about transferring next year.

I was looking around on the Carolina Scout board.  Concensus seems to be that he is a 4 year glue guy, who will earn PT in his 3rd and 4th years.

[willie warrior]

Make sure that K visits Usingers Sausage. One taste of the kielbasa and he will advise the kid to stay in Milwaukee.

[Rockmic87]

These posts are always amusing--we want to believe we're competitive with the best of the ACC, Big Ten, B12, SEC etc.  But then we believe that one of our best recruiting pipelines should be players who won't get playing time at Duke, UNC, UK, etc.

We're not going to be as good as UNC and Duke when our attitude is "Not good enough to get minutes at UNC or Duke?  Come to MU because you'll play here!"   

Truth hurts!

[Stretchdeltsig]

Marquette was better than Duke this year.  I think Marquette is a great place to play for because of the competition and great coaching and pipeline to the NBA. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Marquette was better than Duke this year. I think Marquette is a great place to play for because of the competition and great coaching and pipeline to the NBA.  

That is debatable  (DU lost to Miami but also beat them, DU beat Louisville once and lost once while MU lost their only time, DU crushed Davidson, etc)....pretty close.    

But say its true, in most years that isn't the case and Duke is also a great place to play due to the competition (even more so moving forward with Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt coming in), great coaching and a much larger pipeline to the NBA.  Then you get into the weather and campus (Duke is easily top 5 campuses I have been to and I've probably been to 100+ due to my job).

Oh, and it's a school that academically blows the doors off of 98% of schools in the nation.

[MU82]

Marquette was better than Duke this year.  I think Marquette is a great place to play for because of the competition and great coaching and pipeline to the NBA.  

Marquette also was better than UCLA and Kentucky this year. And went farther in the tourney than Indiana, Kansas, UNC and Michigan State.

And anybody who believes any of this makes our program more relevant nationally than those iconic programs is delusional.

It's a great goal, though. Who knows? Maybe we'll look back a decade from now, after Buzz has taken us to our fourth Final Four in six years and has won our second title in that span, and say it all started when Buzz took over as coach and convinced a few jucos that Milwaukee was a great place to play basketball.

[Rockmic87]

Marquette was better than Duke this year.  I think Marquette is a great place to play for because of the competition and great coaching and pipeline to the NBA. 

LOL, MU was not better than Duke this year. If we played Duke 10 times, where would your money be? We arguably had a very lucky run to the Elite 8.

I also wouldn't go so far as to say we have a "pipeline to the NBA." We have had some success in getting players to the league, based on hustle and beating the odds. "Pipeline to the NBA" is more like KU, UK, UNC, where your getting consistent first rounder, more specifically lottery picks. If you asked

MU is a great place to play ball, but were not Elite.

[79Warrior]

Marquette also was better than UCLA and Kentucky this year. And went farther in the tourney than Indiana, Kansas and Michigan State.

And anybody who believes any of this makes our program more relevant nationally than those iconic programs is delusional.

It's a great goal, though. Who knows? Maybe we'll look back a decade from now, after Buzz has taken us to our fourth Final Four in six years and has won our second title in that span, and say it all started when Buzz took over as coach and convinced a few jucos that Milwaukee was a great place to play basketball.

I agree with everything you said. Buzz has the program on the cusp. But, all it will take is one of these thoroughbred players to come to Marquette and the door will open. It only takes one. If you never get in the water you will never swim. I say keep banging away because Buzz will get one of these fellas sooner or later.

[ChicosBailBonds]

LOL, MU was not better than Duke this year. If we played Duke 10 times, where would your money be? We arguably had a very lucky run to the Elite 8.

I also wouldn't go so far as to say we have a "pipeline to the NBA." We have had some success in getting players to the league, based on hustle and beating the odds. "Pipeline to the NBA" is more like KU, UK, UNC, where your getting consistent first rounder, more specifically lottery picks. If you asked

MU is a great place to play ball, but were not Elite.

Agree.  Duke currently has 20 guys on a NBA roster.  MU has 6. 

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Apparently the twitterverse is reporting that Coach K is turning his attention to Stone now... does anyone have any pesticide nearby?

[hairy worthen]

Apparently the twitterverse is reporting that Coach K is turning his attention to Stone now... does anyone have any pesticide nearby?

you mean rodenticide, warfarin would work.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

[hairy worthen]

These posts are always amusing--we want to believe we're competitive with the best of the ACC, Big Ten, B12, SEC etc.  But then we believe that one of our best recruiting pipelines should be players who won't get playing time at Duke, UNC, UK, etc.

We're not going to be as good as UNC and Duke when our attitude is "Not good enough to get minutes at UNC or Duke?  Come to MU because you'll play here!"   

Thank you!

[Marqevans]

Coach K is the ultimate "Big East buster"!

[GGGG]

LOL, MU was not better than Duke this year. If we played Duke 10 times, where would your money be? We arguably had a very lucky run to the Elite 8.

???

We beat the team that finished ahead of Duke in the ACC standings and won the ACC Tournament.

[4everwarriors]

And some folks wondered if Looney and Stone were worthy of an offer from MU.

[GGGG]

And some folks wondered if Looney and Stone were worthy of an offer from MU.

Who said that?

[ATWizJr]

And some folks wondered if Looney and Stone were worthy of an offer from MU.

So, whaddya' hear?

[4everwarriors]

It wasn't like I was at the dinner table talkin' smack with Mikey. I expect a Top 5 list to be forthcoming, followed by official visits and an early signing. At least that was the goal. Should have some unimpeachable info in a couple of weeks. An offer from Duke or UNC is huge, even going back to Kevon's freshman year. Doubt that much has changed there.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I see the title and keep thinking Bruce Springsteen singing "Coach KKKKKK is coming to town.  Yeah.............."

[Lennys Tap]

Marquette also was better than UCLA and Kentucky this year. And went farther in the tourney than Indiana, Kansas, UNC and Michigan State.

And anybody who believes any of this makes our program more relevant nationally than those iconic programs is delusional.

It's a great goal, though. Who knows? Maybe we'll look back a decade from now, after Buzz has taken us to our fourth Final Four in six years and has won our second title in that span, and say it all started when Buzz took over as coach and convinced a few jucos that Milwaukee was a great place to play basketball.

100% agree. When Al walked out of the Omni on that rainy night in Georgia, MU basketball lost its status as an Elite program. We've had moments since, but only moments. Buzz is the first coach to bring sustained excellence and has us knocking on the door. If he stays I think he kicks it in.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Agreed.  Buzz has momentum going and a great opportunity to run an elite program at Marquette.  Every team is allowed only 13 scholarship players.  That means that Duke and Marquette can have the same number of players.  Duke cannot recruit 20 or 30 players.  I, for one, am bullish on Marquette and Buzz Williams to field the best possible team.  Marquette has had an outstanding record of great basketball for more than 60 years and I root for MU to be the best over Duke and any other team.  Ring out Ahoya!

[Rockmic87]

???

We beat the team that finished ahead of Duke in the ACC standings and won the ACC Tournament.

That means nothing. Duke was a better team. UWGB beat us, and we won a share of the BE. Is UWGB better than us?

Duke would win a best out of 5 series against us.

[keefe]

Yes.  I suspect you will find Duke offers fewer players the opportunity each year to fill their openings vs MU does to fill theirs.  I think the reasons are obvious.

Everyone focuses on basketball but a compelling factor is that Duke is a much better university and matriculation conveys significant benefits that will accrue over the rest of one's life. Long after the basketball residuals peter out a Duke grad will continue to enjoy advantages from having been graduated from that school.